Flexible sugarless chewing gum

ABSTRACT

Sugarless stick chewing gum which is flexible for extended shelf life periods is made with cooked aqueous hydrogenated starch hydrolysate having a moisture content of about 8+/-4%, and which may also contain glycerine.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATIONS

This patent application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 717,765 filed Mar. 29, 1985, now abandoned, and entitled "Flexible Sugarless Chewing Gum".

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to sugarless chewing gum products that are very flexible for prolonged periods of storage and which are prepared by formulating the product with aqueous hydrogenated starch hydrolysate that has been cooked to a moisture content of about 8±4%. Glycerine may also be added with the cooked hydrogenated starch hydrolysate.

2. Description of the Prior Art and Other Related Art

Regular (non-bubble) sugarless chewing gum, in stick form, and as formulated prior to the present invention, has very poor cohesive, or flexible properties. Further, this lack of flexibility and cohesiveness becomes even more pronounced as the product ages during its shelf life. This has been found to be true, even when the product is made with relatively large amounts of plasticizing agents such as glycerin. Sugar (sucrose) based chewing gums, on the other hand, in stick form are relatively cohesive and flexible even after extended shelf life histories.

Further, various of the prior art chewing gum products have very low moisture contents, i.e., of about 1 to 2%, and also have relatively low equivalent relative humidity (ERH) values, i.e., of the order of about 10 to 25. During the storage of such products under ambient conditions of about 40 to 70% relative humidity and about 20° to 30° C., these (low value) ERH properties of such products will cause such products to absorb relatively large amounts of water from the atmosphere. Such increased amounts of water will adversely affect various qualities of the product, and adversely affect the stability of any water decomposible components of such products.

Thus, such products having very low ERH values would require that they be processed and wrapped under special atmospheric conditions of low humidity and controlled temperature. Such conditions are expensive and difficult to maintain.

Equivalent relative humidity (ERH) or relative vapor pressure is the humidity at which a foodstuff neither gains nor loses moisture and the figure is expressed as a percentage. A discussion of ERH relative to food products and a method for the determination thereof is to be found in "Chocolate, Cocoa and Confectionery," Science and Technology, Second Edition, 1980, Bernard M. Minifie, AVI Puglishing Co., Inc. Westport, Conn., U.S.A., Appendix I, pp. 672-677 (the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference). The test procedure disclosed in such publication is the one used for testing and evaluating the compositions disclosed herein.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,248,895 discloses the preparation of a dried non-hygroscopic free flowing powder that is made by drying a higher polyalcohol, such as hydrogenated starch hydrolysate, with a concentrated protein extract. The dried material has a moisture content of about 2 to 6% and may be used as a sweetener in confections such as chewing gum to provide products having prolonged shelf life in terms of retained flexibility and softness. The dried hydrogenated starch hydrolysate may also be used in combination with hydrogenated starch hydrolysate syrup having a moisture content of 15 to 40%.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,382,962 discloses the preparation of sugarless chewing gum made with a specific aqueous hydrogenated starch hydrolysate that is designed to replace all or a portion of the mannitol previously used with other solid sweeteners, such as xylitol and/or sorbitol, in such products. The hydrogenated starch hydrolysate is used as an aqueous softening agent. When used in a liquid filling in the chewing gum, the hydrogenated starch hydrolysate may have a moisture content of 15 to 20% (column 4, lines 20-25 and column 9, lines 54-60). When used in the sugarless chewing gum composition the hydrogenated starch hydrolysate has a moisture content of 17 to 30%, depending, basically, on the amount of the hydrogenated starch hydrolysate that is used (column 8, lines 37-50). The lower the amount of the hydrogenated starch hydrolysate that is to be used, the higher is the moisture content of such material.

Commercially available aqueous hydrogenated starch hydrolysate which has a moisture content of about 20 to 35% has been proposed as a stabilizing agent for aspartame in chewing gum and other comestibles, see in this regard, U.S. patent applications Ser. No. 677,717 filed Dec. 4, 1984 in the names of D. R. Friello et al., and entitled "Comestible Containing Moisture And Shelf Storage Stabilized L-Aspartic Acid Derivative" and Ser. No. 677,716 filed Dec. 4, 1984 in the names of D. R. Friello et al., and entitled "Comestible Containing Moisture, CaCO₃ and Shelf Storage Stabilized L-Aspartic Acid Derivative", and U.S. patent applications Ser. No. 865,493 filed May 20, 1986 and Ser. No. 867,821 filed May 27, 1986 as continuation-in-part applications of, respectively, said applications Ser. No. 677,717 and Ser. No. 677,716.

Cooked hydrogenated starch hydrolysate which has a moisture content of about 10±6%, has also been proposed as a stabilizer for aspartame in sugarless chewing gums. See in this regard, U.S patent application Ser. No. 717,630 filed Mar. 29, 1985 in the names of Thomas J. Carroll et al. and entitled "Stabilized APM in Chewing Gum", and the continuation-in-part of said U.S. Ser. No. 717,630 filed on even data herewith as U.S. Ser. No. 840,299.

Prior to the present invention it has not been possible to provide, in stick form, regular sugarless gum which has the cohesive and flexible properties of good quality sugar based regular stick chewing gum.

An object of the present invention, therefore, is to provide regular sugarless chewing gum, in stick form, which has the cohesive and flexible properties normally associated with regular sugar based chewing gum in stick form.

Another object of the present invention is to provide such stick form products as have a relatively high ERH.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It has now been found, according to the present invention, that cohesive, flexible sugarless chewing gum, in stick form, can be provided if the sugarless chewing gum is formulated with about 20±10% of aqueous hydrogenated starch hydrolysate which has been cooked to achieve a moisture content of about 8±4%.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The cooked aqueous hydrogenated starch hydrolysate used in the compositions of the present invention has a moisture content of about 8±4%. This cooked hydrogenated starch hydrolysate is prepared by cooking, or heating, commercially available aqueous solutions of the hydrogenated starch hydrolysate which have moisture contents of about 20 to 35%, at a temperature of about 250° to 310° F., and preferably of about 260° to 290° F., until the desired low moisture content of the cooked material is attained. This may take about 0.5 to 1 hour for a 100 gallon batch of a commercially available aqueous solution of hydrogenated starch hydrolysate having a moisture content of about 25%.

The uncooked commercially available hydrogenated starch which may be used to form the cooked hydrogenated starch hydrolsate used in the compositions of the present invention may be a hydrogenated corn syrup or hydrogenated starch hydrolysate of varying dextrose equivalents (DE), such as are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. Re. 26,959 and U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,556,811, 4,279,931 and 4,382,962, as well as various hydrogenated glucose syrups and/or reconstituted powders which contain sorbitol, hydrogenated disaccharides, tri- to hexa-hydrogenated saccharides, and hydrogenated higher polysaccharides, or mixtures of any two or more of the above.

The uncooked commercially available hydrogenated glucose syrups or hydrogenated starch hydrolysates and/or powders thereof may be produced by catalytic hydrogenation of standard glucose syrups (acid and/or enzyme converted) to the point where all the glucose end groups of the saccharides are reduced to alcohols, that is, dextrose to sorbitol. In the case of hydrogenated glucose syrups, the total solids contents will usually range from about 65 to about 80%, which solids are made from about 4 to about 70%, and preferably from about 4 to about 20%, sorbitol, from about 65%, hydrogenated disaccharides (that is, mannitol), and 20 to 80% for the higher (≧tri to hepta) hydrogenated saccharides. The preferred of the uncooked commercially available hydrogenated starch hydrolysates contain from about 8 to about 45%, and preferably about 15 to 45%, tri- to hepta-hydrogenated saccharides, and from about 10 to about 35%, and preferably about 15 to 25%, hydrogenated saccharides higher than hepta.

The commercially available hydrogenated starch hydrolysate is also referred to in the literature as hydrogenated glucose syrup, or by the trademark or tradename Lycasin polyol or Lonza polyol. The term hydrogenated starch hydrolysate will be used herein to designate such material. The hydrogenated starch hydrolysate is usually sold commercially in the form of an aqueous solution thereof having a moisture content of about 20 to 35%.

The chewing gum compositions of the present invention are made with about 20±10%, and preferably about 15±5% of the cooked hydrogenated starch hydrolysate. When less then about 10% of the cooked hydrogenated starch hydrolysate is used, the resulting products have poor flexibility properties, and when more than about 30% is used the resulting product is too soft.

The chewing gum products of the present invention, have a moisture content of about 2 to 8%, and preferably of about 2 to 5%.

The chewing gum products of the present invention may also comprise about ≧0 to 12%, and preferably about 5 to 9%, of glycerine. The glycerine assists in providing long term storage flexibility, as well as initial softness of chew. The glycerin may be cooked with the hydrogenated starch hydrolysate and added as such to the chewing gum formulation, or it may be added separately. When the glycerine is cooked with the hydrogenated starch hydrolysate the cooking temperature should not exceed the decomposition temperature of the glycerin, which is about 290° C.

The chewing gum products of the present invention have ERH values of >25 to 50, and preferably of about 30 to 50 and most preferably about 30 to 40.

The cooked hydrogenated starch hydrolysate and/or the glycerin may be added to the gum base portion, or with the non-gum base components, when formulating the products of the present invention. The cooked hydrogenated starch hydrolysate, with or without glycerin cooked therewith, is cooled to below about 150° F. before being admixed with the other components of the chewing gum products of the present invention.

When the cooked hydrogenated starch hydrolysate is prepared (cooked) with less than about 4% glycerine, the resulting product is in a glossy solid state at room temperature. When the cooked hydrogenated starch hydrolysate is made with about 4 to 12% glycerine, the resulting product is a liquid or is pourable at room temperature.

This solid glossy material melts, or becomes pourable, at a temperature of about 212° to 220° F. When using cooked hydrogenated starch hydrolysate in the chewing gum products of the present invention which has been made with less than about 4% glycerine, it is preferable, to facilitate the incorporation of the cooked material into the chewing gum composition, to use the cooked hydrogenated starch hydrolysate just after it has been cooked, and it is still in a heated and liquid state. It is preferably under such circumstances to allow the cooked hydrogenated starch hydrolysate (made with less than 4% glycerine) to cool down to about 150° to 160° F. before incorporating it into the chewing gum formulation.

When the cooked hydrogenated starch hydrolysate is made with about 4 to 12% glycerine, it is preferable to cool it down to about 100° to 110° F. before it is added to the chewing gum formulation.

The products of the present invention are made and used in stick form. The sticks are about 0.065 to 0.072 inch in thickness, about 3/4 inch in width, and about 27/8 to 3 inches in length.

The term "flexible" as used herein means a characteristic denoted by testing individual sticks of gum in accordance with the following test procedure:

A single stick of gum, which is at room temperature, i.e., about 20°-25° C., is held between the thumb and index finger of both hands, along the wide sides of the stick, and within 0.5 to 1.0 inch of each end of the stick, and is then slowly twisted in opposite directions relative to the long axis of the wide side of the stick. A stick of gum made according to the present invention, which has good flexible properties, will bend or shape, without breaking or crumbling, after at least two or three 180° turns of the fingers, into a helical shaped structure before tearing.

A non-flexible stick of gum, on the other hand, will typically break up or crumble after, or before, the completion of only one 180° turn of the fingers.

The flexibility properties of the stick chewing gum products made according to the present invention will last during prolonged storage of such products, i.e., for at least 9 to 12 months, when the products are stored at 40 to 70% relative humidity and at 20° to 30° C.

Although many prior art sugarless stick regular chewing gum products may pass the above described flexibility test when they are freshly made, and are warm, they will not do so after they have been cooled down to room temperature, i.e., 20°-25° C.

CHEWING GUM COMPOSITIONS

The chewing gum compositions contemplated by the present invention comprise all types of sugarless chewing gums and chewing gum formulations known to those skilled in the art, including the regular gum and the bubble gum types. Typical chewing gum compositions comprise a chewing gum base, a modifier, a bulking agent or sweetener, and one or more other additives such as flavoring agents, colorants and antioxidants. The modifying agents are used to soften, plasticize and/or compatibilize one or more of the components of the gum base and/or of the formulation as a whole.

The chewing gum products of the present invention would have the following formulation:

    ______________________________________                                                      Weight % of Component                                             Component      Broad Range                                                                               Preferred Range                                      ______________________________________                                         gum base       15 to 35   20 to 30                                             cooked hydrogenated                                                                           10 to 30   10 to 20                                             starch hydrolysate                                                             glycerine       0 to 12   5 to 9                                               modifying agent other                                                                         0 to 5     0.3 to 3.0                                           than glycerine                                                                 bulking agent or                                                                              20 to 70   30 to 50                                             bulk sweetener                                                                 non-nutritive  0 to 2     0.1 to 0.4                                           sweetener                                                                      coloring agent 0.1 to 0.5 0.15 to 0.3                                          flavoring agent                                                                               0.5 to 2.5 0.18 to 1.2                                          (other than sweetener)                                                         moisture*      2 to 8     2.0 to 5.0                                           Total          100        100                                                  ______________________________________                                          *Moisture content contributed by all components.                         

GUM BASE

The compositions of the gum base will vary depending on whether the gum base is to be used in a chewing gum product which is to be a regular, or non-bubble, gum product or a bubble gum product. For use in making a bubble gum or regular chewing gum product, the following gum base formulations may be used, in accordance with the present invention:

    ______________________________________                                                 Weight % of Component in Gum Base For                                          Bubble Gum Product                                                                           Regular Gum Product                                                Broad    Preferred  Broad  Preferred                                 Component Range    Range      Range  Range                                     ______________________________________                                         Masticatory                                                                              8-22      9-18      8-25   9-18                                      material                                                                       plasticizer for                                                                          5-35     10-20      2-30   8-20                                      masticatory                                                                    material                                                                       hydrophilic                                                                              0-30      4-10      5-35   10-25                                     detackifier                                                                    plasticer for                                                                            0-14     0-8        1-15   3-12                                      hydrophilic                                                                    detackifier                                                                    wax       3-15      5-10      4-20   8-15                                      mineral filler                                                                           1-35     10-22      5-35   15-30                                     antioxidant                                                                               0-0.1   0.05-0.09   0-0.1 0.03-0.09                                 Total     100             100                                                  ______________________________________                                    

The masticatory substances are elastomeric materials which may be synthetic or natural in origin. The masticatory substances of synthetic origin would include styrene-butadine copolymer, butyl rubber (which is isobutylene-isoprene copolymer) and polyisobutylene. The natural masticatory substances would include chicle, crown gum, nispero, balata, jelutong, pendare, perillo, niger gutta, tuna, leche caspi, sorva and gutta hank kang.

The plasticizer for the masticatory substance will preferably comprize a hydrogenated ester gum, that is, a glycerol ester of hydrogenated rosin and/or dimerized ester gum. However, other resins may be employed such as pentaerythritol ester gum, polymerized ester gum, polyterpene resin and ester gum.

The hydrophilic-type detackifier is a material which will absorb saliva and would include vinyl polymers having a molecular weight of at least 2,000, and preferably of about 2,000 to 80,000 or more, such as polyvinyl acetate, polyvinyl butyl ether and copolymers of vinyl esters and/or vinyl ethers with ethylene.

The plasticizers for the hydrophilic type detackifiers would include one or more of triacetin, acetylated glycerides and other flavor adjuvants such as ethyl acetate and triethyl citrate, and others as listed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,452,820 at column 4, lines 27 to 46, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

The oleaginous material includes waxes which are used primarily as compatibilizers/plasticizers between the elastomeric and resin phases, where such two phases are employed. Examples of the waxes are petroleum waxes such as paraffin wax and microcrystalline wax; the polyethylene waxes; and natural waxes derived from either plant or animal sources such as candelilla wax, carnuba wax and bees wax. The oleaginous material may also include hydrogenated vegetable or animal fats, cocoa butter or other softening emulsifying agents such as phosphatides such as lecithin and di- and tri-glycerides of fatty acids.

The mineral fillers would include calcium carbonate, titanium dioxide, talc, alumina, tricalcium phosphate and mixtures thereof.

In addition, the gum base may include antioxidants such as butylated hydroxy toluene, butylated hydroxy anisole and propyl gallate.

The chewing gum compositions of the present invention are sugarless. The sugar substitutes used in the compositions of this invention include all known non-nutritive sweeteners. The amount of non-nutritive sweetener which can be used can range from 0 to about 2 weight percent of the final composition.

The non-nutritive or artificial or intense sweeteners which may be used in the compositions of the present invention include poorly water-soluble, as well as water-soluble, sweeteners such as asparatame or L-aspartyl-L-phenylalanine methyl ester, the free acid form of saccharin, sodium, calcium or ammonium saccharin salts, dihydrochalcones, glycyrrhizin, dipotassium glycyrrhizin, glycyrrhizic acid/ammonium salt, talin, acesulfame K, as well as Stevia rebaudiana (Stevioside), Richardella dulcifica (Miracle Berry), Dioscoreophylim cumminisu (Serendipity Berry), free cyclamic acid and cyclamate salts, and the like, or mixtures of any two or more of the above.

The artificial sweetener may be employed with non-sugar bulk sweeteners (other than the cooked hydrogenated starch hydrolysate) such as dry crystalline sugar alcohols such as sorbitol, xylitol and mannitol.

Aspartic acid derivative sweetening agents other than L-aspartyl-L-phenylalanine methyl ester may also be used as the non-nutritive or artificial sweetener. Some of such derivatives are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,955,000 at column 3, line 63 to column 4, line 35 thereof, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference. These derivatives are also known as dipeptides. Where an aspartic acid sweetening aent is employed in the compositions of the present invention it is used at about a 0.1 to 2% weight level.

In addition to the above, the chewing gum made by this invention can also contain conventional FD&C and natural coloring agents.

The flavoring which can be included in the chewing gum compositions made according to this invention can comprise one or more natural and/or synthetic flavors and/or oils derived from plants, leaves, flowers and fruit. Representative flavors and oils of these types include acids such as adipic, succinic and fumaric acid; citrus oils such as lemon oil, orange oil, lime oil and grapefruit oil; fruit essences, such as apple essence, pear essence, peach essence, strawberry essence, apricot essence, raspberry essence, cherry essence, plum essence, and pineapple essence; essential oils such as peppermint oil, spearmint oil, mixtures of peppermint oil and spearmint oil, clove oil, bay oil, anise oil, oil of nutmeg, oil of sage, oil of bitter almonds, cassia oil and methylsalicylate (oil of wintergreen). Various synthetic flavors, such as those for a mixed fruit, may also be incorporated in the chewing gum with or without conventional preservatives.

GENERAL PREPARATION OF CHEWING GUM PRODUCT

The chewing gum products of the present invention are prepared by first separately preparing the gum base. To then prepare the sugarless chewing gum formulation, the gum base for the product is melted, at a temperature about 190° to 250° F., and the other components of the composition are added thereto. The resulting composition is uniformly admixed. Each of the components is usually separately added to the formulated composition and uniformly mixed in before the next component is added. All of the admixing operations are conducted at temperatures in the range of about 115° to 185° F., and preferably of about 115° to 130° C. for a total mixing time, at such temperatures, of about 10 to 20 minutes. These operations do not have to be conducted under anhydrous conditions in preparing the compositions of the present invention, and any amounts of moisture that are normally present in the raw materials other than the uncooked hydrogenated starch hydrolysate that are used in the compositions of the present invention do not usually have to be removed therefrom either prior to, or during, the formulating process. The one exception to this concept of not removing water occurs when using rubber latices as the source of the masticatory substance. As in prior art practice, the moisture content of the latex is, essentially, normally removed after coagulating the latex.

The chewing gum formulations disclosed herein may thus be prepared, and processed into chewing gum products, using conventional chewing gum formulation mixing, processing and packaging equipment and concepts.

The following examples are merely illustrative of the present invention and are not intended as a limiation upon the scope thereof.

PREPARATION OF CHEWING GUM COMPOSITIONS

Various chewing gum compositions were prepared using various of the gum bases prepared as described above. In preparing the chewing gum compositions, they were prepared in pilot plant sized batches/in paddle mixers. In preparing each batch, the previously prepared gum base is melted at a temperature of up to about 245°±5° F. and is premixed with lecithin and color additive, and, optionally, the cooked hydrogenated starch hydrolysate, and glycerine, if the latter is used, until the temperature drops to about 185° to 189° F. Then there is sequentially added powdered sorbitol (at a temperature of ≦180° F.), liquid flavor (i.e., peppermint), liquid sorbitol, if used, glycerin, if used, alone or with the cooked hydrogenated starch hydrolysate, if the latter is not premixed with the gum base, any additional flavorants, and finally the aspartame, and, optionally, any other intense sweeteners. Each component is paddle mixed in before the next is added. Each mixing step takes about 0.5 to 5.0 minutes and the total mixing time is about 10-15 minutes. The resulting product is recovered and further processed and packaged using conventional chewing gum making procedures.

The cooked hydrogenated starch hydrolysate used in the chewing gum compositions evaluated in the Examples had a moisture content of 7.5% or 11.5% and was prepared by cooking, at 250° to 310° F., a commercially available aqueous hydrogenated starch hydrolysate which has a solids content of 75±1%, a monosaccharide content of about 6 to 8%, a disaccharide content of about 50 to 55%, and a higher saccharide content of about 38 to 48%. The higher saccharides were about 20 to 25% in the 3-7 DP (degree of polymerization) range, and about 18 to 23% in the >7 DP range.

Unless otherwise indicated, the total water content reported below for each of the chewing gum formulations of the Examples is a calculated amount based on the water content of the cooked hydrogenated starch hydrolysate (HSH), about 8±4%, and glycerin, about 1 to 4%, (where used) plus any added water used in the respective formulations. The actual water content of these formulations is about 0.2 to 0.5% higher than the reported calculated values, since such additional amounts of water enter the final formulated product from the other components of the formulation and from the ambient atmosphere. The total of the reported weight percents for the respective formulations of these Examples will thus total about 100% plus the respectively reported calculated water contents.

The test formulations were prepared using batch pilot plant procedures. Prior to beginning the pilot plant batch making process, a batch of cooked HSH/glycerine was prepared, and then split into two half batches each of which contains one-half of each of the formulated amounts of the glycerine and the cooked hydrogenated starch hydrolysate that are to be used in making the product of each example. One of such premixtures is then used in each of steps 3 and 6 noted below.

STEP-WISE PILOT PLANT PROCEDURE

1. Into a pre-warmed sigma bladed mixer add molten gum base. The gum base temperature should be between 150°-200° F., and preferably between 170°-190° F.

2. With the blades of the mixer operating, and the temperature in the cited range, the lecithin is added and the mixing is continued for one minute.

3. Add one half of the cooked HSH/glycerine premixture, or the first 1/2 of the HSH, and mix for two minutes, or until homogeneous.

4. Add 1/2 of the sorbitol powder and continue mixing for two minutes.

5. The liquid flavor is then added and mixing is continued for one minute.

6. Add the second half of the cooked HSH/glycerine premixture, or the second 1/2 of the cooked HSH, and mix for two minutes.

7. Add the remaining sorbitol powder and the non-nutritive sweetener. Prior to production of the batch, the non-nutritive sweetener is premixed with a small portion of the sorbitol powder. Continue mixing for two minutes, or until the batch is homogeneous. The final gum temperature is approximately 112° F.

8. The gum is removed from the mixer and conditioned at 70° F./42-55% R.H prior to forming.

9. The gum is rolled and scored into a stick configuration. Mannitol is applied to the surface of the scored gum to prevent surface adhesion. The gum is then packaged in fin-seal foil pouches and sealed.

EXAMPLES 1 AND 2

Using the pilot plant procedure described above two (2) chewing gum products were prepared from the following formulations, in % by weight.

    ______________________________________                                                         Weight % of Component                                                          Example                                                        Component         1         2                                                  ______________________________________                                         Styrene-butadiene 30        30                                                 copolymer based gum base                                                       sorbitol, powder  43        40                                                 cooked hydrogenated                                                                              20        20                                                 starch hydrolysate                                                             glycerine          5         8                                                 flavor             1         1                                                 lecithin           1         1                                                 aspartame           0.2       0.2                                              moisture          Ca. 3     Ca. 2.2                                                              100       100                                                ______________________________________                                          Ca. = about                                                              

The cooked hydrogenated starch hydrolysate used in Examples 1 and 2 had a moisture content of, respectively, 11.5% and 7.5%.

The chewing gum products of the present invention were flexible. When tested for flexibility, as described above, individual sticks of gum made from each of the Example 1 and 2 products were twisted 3 times before breaking. These tests for flexibility were conducted, periodically, over a storage period of up to about 55 days under accelerated aging conditions of 100-105% and about 30% relative humidity.

The packaged chewing gum products of the present invention made in Examples 1 and 2 were also evaluated for the shelf life stability of the aspartame used therein while stored for up to about 40 to 55 days under accelerated aging conditions at 100°-105° F. and ambient, about 30°, relative humidity, with the following results:

                  TABLE 1                                                          ______________________________________                                         % APM Recovery During Accelerated                                              Aging Storage of Examples 1 and 2 Chewing Gum Samples                                    days storage                                                         % APM Recovery                                                                             0      14     21   28   35   41   56                               ______________________________________                                         Example 1   93     NT     86.5 --   --   79.5 --                               Example 2   96     94.5   NT   81.5 80   --   74                               ______________________________________                                          NT = Not tested at this time interval.                                   

The APM was analyzed for, employing standard gas chromatography procedures, first at zero time, i.e., within 48 hours after the product was first made and prior to its being subjected to any accelerated aging, and then at various intervals, as noted in Table I above, after 14 to 56 days of accelerated aging time. Based on experience each day of accelerated aging time is equivalent to about 7 to 7.5 days of commercial storage aging time. Thus, 40 days of accelerated aging time is equivalent to about 280 to 300 days, or about 10 months, of commercial storage time, and 50 days of accelerated aging time is equivalent to about 350 to 375 days, or at least one year, of commercial storage time. These test results thus indicate that the aspartame is very stable in the compositions of the present invention in that at least about 80% of the APM is retained and recoverable for at least 40 days of accelerated aging and at least 70% of the aspartame is retained and recoverable for at least 55 days of accelerated aging time.

The aspartame need not be encapsulated or coated in any way when employed in the products of the present invention. It and the other components of the chewing gum products in which it is used may all be freely dispersed in such products.

EXAMPLES 3 TO 8

A series of six sugarless stick chewing gum products were evaluated for ERH values and flexibility values. The compositions of these products are indicated below, or in Table 2.

Products 3 and 4 were made according to the present invention, as described above, using either a styrene-butadiene based gum base (Gum Base A) or a gum base made from an admixture of styrene-butadiene elastomer and polyisobutylene elastomer (Gum Base B). Products 5 and 6 were made with Gum Base A and were based on prior art composition technology (high glycerine, low moisture content). Products 5 and 6 were otherwise prepared as described above. Product 7 is an off-the-shelf sample of Trident spearmint gum manufactured by Warner Lambert Co. Product 8 was an off-the-shelf sample of Extra bubble gum manufactured by Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company. (Trident and Extra are trademarks of such companies).

The list of contents of the Extra product, as indicated on the label thereof, is sorbitol, gum base, mannitol, glycerol, arificial and natural flavors, lecithin, aspartame, artificial colors and butylated hydroxy toluene.

The list of contents of the Trident product, as indicated on the label thereof, is sorbitol, gum base, glycerine, mannitol, softeners, natural and artificial flavors, and sodium saccharin.

The compositions of the Trident and Extra products thus do not contain hydrogenated starch hydrolysate in any form.

It is believed that the Trident product contains about 2% water and that the Extra product contains about 1% water. The exact formulated contents of these products is not known.

The products were each analyzed for their ERH value, as described above. The ERH values of these products are shown below in Table 2.

                  TABLE 2                                                          ______________________________________                                                 Example 3-8 Formulations                                               Component 3       4      5      6    7      8                                  ______________________________________                                         Gum base  27.0    27.0   30.0   30.0 --     --                                 sorbitol powder                                                                          47.4    46.3   60.0   50.0 --     --                                 cooked HSH                                                                               15.0    16.5   0      0    --     --                                 glycerine 8.0     8.0    8.0    18.0 --     --                                 peppermint oil                                                                           1.2     1.2    1.0    1.0  --     --                                 lecithin  1.2     0.7    1.0    1.0  --     --                                 aspartame 0.2     0.2    0.2    0.2  --     --                                 colorant  0       0.1    0      0    --     --                                 % water   2 3     2 3    1 2    1 2  ca. 2  ca. 1                              ERH Value:                                                                               37      35     14.6   14.0 25     19                                 ______________________________________                                    

When tested for flexibility, as described above, only Products 3 and 4 were flexible. Thus, only Products 3 and 4 had the desired combination of flexibility and high ERH values. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A sugarless stick chewing gum which is flexible during storage and comprising gum base, sweetening amounts of sweetener selected from the group consisting of non-nutritive intense sweeteners and non-sugar bulk sweeteners, about 2 to 8% moisture, 0 to 12% glycerine and 20±10% cooked aqueous hydrogenated starch hydrolysate having a moisture content of 8±4%.
 2. A chewing gum as in claim 1 having a moisture content of about 2.0 to 5.0%.
 3. A chewing gum as in claim 2 having a glycerine content of about 4 to 8%.
 4. A chewing gum as in claim 2 comprising about 0.01 to 2% aspartic acid derivative as a sweetening agent.
 5. A chewing gum as in claim 4 in which said aspartic acid derivative is aspartame.
 6. A chewing gum as in claim 5 in which at least 80% of said aspartame is retained in and is recoverable as such from said product after at least 40 days of associated aging at 100°-105° F. and 30° relative humidity.
 7. A chewing gum as in claim 5 in which at least 70% of said aspartame is retained in and is recoverable as such from said product after at least 55 days of accelerated aging at 100°-105° F. and 30° relative humidity.
 8. A chewing gum as in claim 5 having an ERH value of about >25 to
 50. 9. A chewing gum as in claim 8 having an ERH value of about 30 to
 40. 